Many try their luck at Rochester Fair

ROCHESTER — Despite the colder weather, hundreds flocked to the Rochester Fair on Monday night. Many were trying their luck at the fair's many games.

Ranging from just a quarter upward to $5, the games offer a wide range of options for everyone from the little ones to those that have been enjoying the fair for decades.

Some boast “everyone's a winner,” while others have seen few to no winners over the opening weekend.

Fish Frenzy has a winning policy. Players try to toss balls into fish bowls to win a prize. Whether they sink the shot or not, everyone is a winner.

“The little ones like it most,” said Nicole Goodwin, who runs the game.

The game is $5. One game lands winners a live goldfish, while two games scores participants a hermit crab.

Another tossing game is Hoop Shot, in which participants shoot basketballs into tall hoops. For $5 players get 3 shots and for $10, they get 7. One basket earns players a hat while three baskets earns a jersey, just in time for football season.

“We've had a good mix,” said game operator Eddie Tompkins of the crowd the challenging game attracts.

He said they've had quite a few winners. “We had a 9-year-old win on Saturday, that was pretty cool,” he said of the young victor.

One game has seen no winners since the fair's opening on Friday. Shoot the Star Out allows players 100 shots for just $3 as participants shoot out a small red star using an air gun.

Operator Tom Rivers said they've had winners this summer in other towns, but have yet to have someone rise to the challenge in the city.

Robert Whitney who was running Balloon, a dart throwing game, said that for $3 players get to throw until they win. “The more you play, the bigger the prizes,” he said.

Whitney said the game sees a mixed crowd. “Many play for nostalgic reasons. The game has been around forever,” he said.

Courtney Tarantino was there with Zach Piper and his daughter Lily, 4. She said their favorite games are the balloon dart and water gun games. They said they also enjoy the rides. Lily's favorite part is “the tractors.”

Troy Rhodes who was operating The Water Racer, a squirt gun racing game, said the game draws in a bigger crowd due to the sheer excitement of direct competition. He explained that more participants means bigger prizes.

“Crowds depend on the weather but nights are really awesome,” he said.

Another game where prizes depend on the number of participants is Roller Ball, in which players roll balls into holes that determine the speed of their racer.

Operator Harry Jones said, “so far, the year has been average,” as far as crowd size. Many fairgoers said that even with the all-inclusive lowered entrance price, some of the games were a bit expensive. Jones said with the economy still in tough shape fewer people are opting to play the games.

“Many choose to cut entertainment first,” he said, explaining that in other times of economic drought, fair and carnival games saw a boost.

Still many enjoyed the games. Grant, 3, who attended the fair with his mother, Supatra Trueman, said he liked playing Fish Frenzy where he won a goldfish and Roller Ball where he won a giant bouncing ball.

Laurie's Duck Pond in Kiddie Land is another game that's popular among the youngsters. Players simply skim the “pond” looking for just the right duck. As they pick the duck, it has a letter written on the bottom corresponding to either a small, medium, large or bonus sized prize.

“They win a prize every time,” said Vanessa Kleynhans, who runs the game. She said many grandparents who bring their little ones to play, remember playing the game themselves when they were young.

“They just love it,” she said.

While the duck pond sees many winners, the Wacky Wire sees few. Neil McKay, who runs the game, said it's popular among a mixed crowd. “Everybody likes this game,” he said.

Players move a ring along a spinning spiraled stick, attempting to never touch the stick with the ring. While there have been some winners, the game, which calls for an incredibly steady hand, hasn't seen many.

The Wacky Wire may call for a steady hand but Flipping Frenzy calls for a steady body. Players make their way up a rope ladder where they ring a bell, but with the unsteady ladders, many find themselves on the cushion below before they make their way to the top.

The game attracts quite a mix, though all winners so far have been adults. Colby, 8, and Bella, 11, who were there with their mother, said that “flipping over” was the best part.

Darlene Pelletier, who made it pretty far up the ladder, said “its fun but its tricky, really tricky.”

She said she thinks people over complicate it. “It's easier than you think it will be,” she said.

The games will be around through Sunday and with prices as low as a quarter per play, everyone can play at least a game or two. Other festivities included pig racing, Circus Hollywood, and Chainsaw Chix.

Today's schedule includes the Kiddie Tractor Pull and Modified Truck Pulls, both at 6 p.m. The fair opens at 9 a.m. with free entry through 1 p.m.